


This feature is flagged for deprecation

by Alecto



Series: Fictober 2019 [15]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Bad Flirting, Birthday, Boss/Employee Relationship, Fictober 2019, Kaijou Week 2019, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22148881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alecto/pseuds/Alecto
Summary: It wasn’t unusual for Kaiba to overlook his birthday. But this year, a certain someone wouldn’t let him forget so easily.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Series: Fictober 2019 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1529003
Comments: 16
Kudos: 94





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**Author's Note:**

> Fictober Day 25 prompt: “I could really eat something.” x Kaijou Week Day 6: "birthday"

“I could really eat something,” Jounouchi declared as he flopped onto the office couch. 

Kaiba spared a glance at the time in the corner of his screen. It was nearly midnight. He’d stayed far later than even he meant to on a Friday night. His attention wandered back to Jounouchi, draped across the leather sofa like a fainting Victorian damsel, his head tossed back and dangling over the edge of the armrest so he could watch Kaiba without shifting positions. 

From under his bangs, Kaiba’s gaze traced Jounouchi’s feather bangs hanging loose up his nose, lingering his lips and finally settling on the tantalizing stretch of neck bared to him. The inherent vulnerability of Jounouchi’s posture made Kaiba’s stomach twist uncomfortably.

Kaiba tore his eyes away and fixed them determinedly on the half-finished email on his monitor. “I’ll alert HR that you need another tour of the facilities. You’ve mistaken my office for the cafeteria.”

Ever since Mokuba contracted Jounouchi to beta-test and QA the next Duel Disk model, Jounouchi made it his life’s mission to pester Kaiba. Presumably to death. 

If only Jounouchi slacked off on his job responsibilities, Kaiba could at least fire him. But Jounouchi was infuriatingly conscientious about his work and wouldn’t give Kaiba the satisfaction of dismissing him. He wisely made his impromptu visits outside of regular business hours, long after Kaiba’s secretary left for the day. He was rarely hostile, but his familiarity and friendliness made Kaiba suspicious.

Mokuba called it paranoia. Kaiba wondered if this was payback for all the times he deliberately antagonized Jounouchi throughout high school.

“Nah, cafeteria’s closed at this hour. We are literally the last two people in the building,” drawled Jounouchi. “C’mon, let’s go grab a bite, Kaiba. My treat.”

He glared at the blinking cursor instead of the man. Thanks to Jounouchi’s yammering, he was blanking on the English words for eigenvectors and eigenvalues. _Inhere—_ he deleted the characters. No, that wasn’t it.

Jounouchi, not content to be ignored and determined to annoy Kaiba to an early grave, continued bleating, “Did you even eat dinner? I bet you didn’t. You’re gonna waste away at this rate, Kaiba. What will I tell poor Mokuba?”

“Tell him to have me dressed in the navy pinstripe for the funeral,” he snapped while painstakingly jabbing the letters, e-i-g-e-n-v-e, on his keyboard.

“Hah, why wait? Wear it on Monday. I bet you look good in pinstripes.”

Kaiba fumbled the remaining keystrokes, typing the word “eigenvextie” instead. He deleted the mistake and saved his email draft before closing the window. After staring at his desktop and collecting his whirlwind thoughts, he stood and crossed the room to loom over Jounouchi, who continued to lounge with a coy smile and mischievous eyes. Although the workday ended hours ago, Jounouchi had yet to change out of the corporate uniform. Kaiba both liked and hated seeing his company’s logo emblazoned across Jounouchi’s heart.

He shouldn’t look so good wearing the KC corporate uniform...

“I don’t know what game you’re playing, Jounouchi, but stop now,” Kaiba warned. “Unless you want me to fire you.”

Jounouchi swung his feet off the sofa and sat up properly to look at him. He planted his hands on his knees and squared his shoulders. “You can if you want. My contract’s up next Friday anyway. I won’t be your employee for much longer.”

Jounouchi’s declaration startled Kaiba. Right, it would be November soon. Mokuba had hired Jounouchi in late April for a six-month contract in the run-up to the Duel Disk’s holiday release. How time flew. In the blink of an eye, six months had come and gone. Soon, Jounouchi would also be gone. 

Something inside Kaiba plummeted into the sole of his feet.

With a heavy sigh, Jounouchi climbed to his feet. Kaiba took two steps back to insert some much-needed space between them. Their eyes met for a heartbeat before Jounouchi dropped his gaze to his worn sneakers, which barely fit the corporate dress code, and rubbed the back of his neck. “So don’t worry. I won’t be bothering you no more after next Friday. Just thought we could have a nice meal together before then...” Once again, Jounouchi flicked his gaze to Kaiba’s face before darting to the view outside the office windows. “I dunno why I thought asking today would make any difference. God, I’m so fucking dumb.”

It slowly dawned on Kaiba. A wave of heat crept up his spine and past his shirt collar. “Are you asking me out?”

To his even greater horror, Kaiba didn’t object to the idea. He should. He really, really should.

The last six months flashed before his mind’s eyes. He reconsidered all the times Jounouchi dropped by to annoy him after regular work hours. When had Jounouchi started to flirt with him? Why didn’t Kaiba pick up on the flirtations sooner? 

“Yeah, I figured since you won't be my boss next week and today being, well, you know, I thought I’d just take that leap of faith.” Jounouchi shrugged. 

His nonchalant act didn’t fool Kaiba though. He caught the inward curve of Jounouchi’s shoulders. It reminded him of a wounded animal drawing into itself. His head still spun, unable to process the idea that Jounouchi could like him as anything more than a longtime acquaintance. They were less combative than they used to be, but what could Jounouchi find attractive about him?

Instead, he asked, “Today?”

Jounouchi shook his head. “Wow, I knew you were a workaholic, but you seriously forgot?”

When Kaiba didn't respond, Jounouchi pulled out his cellphone and powered on the screen. The time and date, 00:03 on October 25th, shone stark white against the dark wallpaper on his lock-screen. 

“Happy birthday, Kaiba,” Jounouchi said with a wry grin. “I thought maybe I could treat you, but I guess me getting out of your hair soon is probably enough of a gift. But if you really want, you could fire me now as a present to yourself.”

Kaiba hadn’t celebrated his birthday in a very long time. Even Mokuba gave up on convincing him otherwise years ago. As for the last birthday present he received... A 2% share of the company, a billion yen loan, and a final aptitude test for his fifteenth birthday. KaibaCorp itself may have counted as one too, given how he overthrew Gozaburo’s position the following year. 

The truth was Kaiba hadn’t associated his birthday with anything truly good ever since. Maybe it was time to change that.

“There may be a present I would accept from you,” Kaiba said as he straightened and batted away his nagging doubts. 

Jounouchi lifted his head. A cautious optimism lit his brown eyes. “What’s that?” 

Kaiba stepped forward until the toes of his loafers brushed Jounouchi’s sneakers. As he bent forward, Jounouchi tilted his head back in a mindless but coordinated dance. Kaiba traced the interlocked KC he’d admired earlier. Under his hand, Jounouchi’s chest rose and fell rapidly while his breathing hitched. Flicking his gaze from the uniform to Jounouchi’s lips, then to his eyes, he held Jounouchi’s gaze.

Jounouchi swallowed thickly. His Adam’s apple bounced. 

“Well? Come on, Jounouchi, you need to give it before I can receive it,” Kaiba laughed. It was a quiet and strangely affectionate sound that bubbled from his gut. 

Jounouchi complied with a chaste, close-mouthed kiss to his lips. His eyes stayed open, studying Kaiba’s reaction. The unexpected yet undeniable tenderness caused Kaiba’s heart to flutter and butterflies to stir in his stomach.

Jounouchi drew back only far enough to ask, “How’s that?” 

Kaiba’s lips tingled. He wet them and enjoyed Jounouchi's stare that followed. “It’s hard to say. One is hardly generous given the occasion.”

When Jounouchi laughed, a puff of hot air fanned across Kaiba’s cheek and warmed him to his core. 

Jounouchi broke into a grin bright enough to light the night sky. “You know what? You’re totally right, Kaiba. Since it’s your special day, you get to call the shots. I’m not stopping until you say so.”

“Good,” Kaiba purred and crushed their mouths together again. Neither of them said much afterward.


End file.
